09.06 For the last time we´ve woken up in Malaysia. Next follows packing, breakfast and the other usual routines. Today we will fly to our next country, the Philippines. Destination will be Cebu City. We will also call Roberth, our travel pal from earlier trips this year. It is his birthday today.

09.45 We will wait with the phonecall to the birthday boy. It is after all early morning/late night in Sweden. I have arranged with a transport to the airport. As I did that the man in the reception claimed that my travel friend had skipped the bill for a bottle of mineral water yesterday. This is something that Christer denies. Either do I have a friend here that I don’t know of or it is some misunderstanding. We think that all Asians look the same and I guess they think the same thing about us.

10.41 We are back in the reception couches again. We are waiting for a transport away from here. On the TV they show a Batman movie on the HBO channel. They haven’t mentioned anything about the mineral water. I guess it concerns other people. We are like yesterday waiting for a driver.

11.02 Still no driver in sight. What is going on? As he gets here does he know where to go or will we end up in the wrong place again?

11.10 The driver is supposed to be in the house. It is about time. Wait, here he comes, time for us to leave!

11.23 We got there, got out, asked if this was the international terminal, got a no, went back into the taxi and are now heading for the international terminal.

12.01 Here a lot of things happen in a short while. First we went to check in and realised it was the counter for domestic flights. As we finally reached the international counter without any queue the lady there asked for our tickets away from Cebu City. We told her that we have plans to go around by boat and not return to Cebu City. She said then that someone, I wonder who?, in the Philippines wanted proof that we would leave the country. We showed her our booking confirmation for this flight and she called for her superior. He helped her and now we got out boarding cards. Now we are seated at Delibake for some coffee.

12.18 We just passed the security control and are standing in line to have our passports checked. Our names were just announced in the loudspeakers. We are supposed to head for some information desk. Do we have to go back through the security?

12.32 No we don’t, the desk is on the other side of the passport control.

12.26 We went past the passport control and to the desk. Then just as fast through passport and security control. Now we are at the Malaysia Airlines office and wait for our tickets and our passports. What tickets? Isn’t it enough with the boarding cards?

12.39 We are finally in the departure hall next to gate 3. We need the tickets and should have received them as we checked in. Something went wrong. We had to pass security again before we could sit down here. Is it that the e-ticket flying isn’t fully used here or is it just bureaucracy? Whatever the reason, we are waiting to board flight MH 708 to Cebu, Philippines. Who said that travel is easy? I agree that there must be some sport but still.

12.57 This has been the city for two times. We have been driven to two hostels, harbours and airports, gone to two check-in counters and through security twice. We hope it ends here. It is enough to embark once and also hopefully disembark once.

13.08 We just sat down on seats 8 E & F. More and more passengers are embarking. It feels great just to sit down. I wonder if they serve food and how many times?

13.28 Christer has written a small note with the name and address to the hotel in Cebu City. It feels great to have one. Through the window on the left side we can see the top of Mount Kinabalu on the same level as the plane, a mighty view. This must mean that we reached the height of 4000 metres.

14.19 Below us clouds and sea. In the sea we can see small islands with turquoise water surrounding them. I don’t know the name of any of the islands. I do know that they are some of the Philippines 7107 islands.

14.51 The cards are filled in; we are about to land and can see more islands in the sea.

PHILIPPINES

16.07 The first thing we did after we left the plane was to pass a heat-seeking camera. It is used to prevent people with SARS and/or avian influenza to enter the country. I guess they checked for people with a fever. We passed without any problems. No problems to pass the passport control get the luggage or be accepted by the customs officers. It went smooth to exchange money and outside the terminal a man and woman charged towards Christer and put a note each in his hands. The notes were about taxi. We got a taxi and went to Hotel de Mercedes. During the ride the driver locked the doors on the taxi. Now we are in room 303. Time to rest, relax and get something to drink.

17.57 We have just seen a newsflash on BBC News from the opera festival in Bregenz, Austria. We saw the scene that we saw ourselves on the site as we went there this spring. (21/4)

View from Hotel de Mercedes towards Pelaez Street, Cebu City.

19.23 We went down to the ground floor and into the restaurant of the hotel. We have ordered Curry Chicken and Chicken Adobo. The later one is a local dish ordered by me. The restaurant´s name is Javy’s.

20.36 Lots of bones and little flavour on the chickens. My dish was supposed to be spiced with garlic and vinegar; I didn't notice any of them. Christer’s Curry Chicken had little taste of curry. After dinner we went to by some soft drinks. We had hardly left the hotel before we met a man that offered us to enter a bikini bar next to the hotel. Since we both lack a bikini we politely said no thanks and dashed across the street to safety. We had hardly crossed the street before another man appeared with a new offer. He wanted us to pay 600 + bills for a girl. 600 peso is around $ 12. We went back across the street and into our hotel instead. From the reception we were able to enter an Internet café and there we bought fridge-cold Coca Cola.

23.24 We two Swedes sit in our hotelroom in the Philippines reading Malaysian newspapers and watch a TV debate from Great Britain about the crisis between Israel and Lebanon. Earlier tonight we called Roberth to remind him about his growing age.

Monday 24th of July

09.05 It is the first morning in Cebu City. Today we will explore more of the city. First of all it’s shower and breakfast.

09.56 We are sitting down by a window at Javy’s. Two meters away is a wall. Between us and the wall a spider hangs in its net.

San Miguel´s beer-transport making its way through Cebu City´s traffic.

10.28 Christer had crispy bacon, pancakes with corn syrup and coffee. I had beefsteak, garlic rice, pineapple juice and coffee. Now we are making plans for the rest of day. We need more cash, maybe buy postcards and why not take pictures of parts of Cebu City? As we had breakfast a tall gentleman suddenly got up and loud and clearly announced that he was going to the toilet. As he later returned he asked about his friend, the Englishman. The waiter told the tall man that ”the Englishman” had left the city. But, said the man what about his girlfriend? He has many girlfriends... the waiter said to put an end to it all.

10.56 The time has come to get outside of the hotel. We will among many things get to the travel agency Aboitis to get ferry tickets for tomorrow.

Colon Street in downtown Cebu City.

11.27 We are in a ferry office in a mall, Colonade. Here we will buy tickets for tomorrow´s ride to Ormoc. Right now we are seated on a bench and wait for the tickets to be printed out. Cards/notes with information about us have been filled in.

12.02 We have returned to the room. The tickets cost 726 peso, about $13. As this was done we tried to see more of the neighbourhood. New girls were offered to us and we saw some guards with shotguns. They consisted of a handle similar to the one on a pistol and a long barrel. We also saw a church. Before getting home we turned around a corner to get to a zebra crossing. Just as Christer went around the corner he met a fan of weld sparks. Now we bought postcards that’s soon will be written upon.

The jolly bee, the symbol for the hamburgerchain Jollibee.

Christer has just eaten a "Champ" hamburger at Jollibee in Cebu City.

13.43 Time for lunch. Today’s place is a fast-food restaurant in the Jollibee chain. It is by the way the same food chain we saw in Brunei. No kid meals here at all, we have ordered a ”Champ" each, about 150 gram burger with fries and drink. We are waiting for the burgers that take fifteen minutes to prepare.

14.34 Satisfying and tasty. A burger was just what we needed. Right now we are surfing in the internet café next to the reception. We are checking small and big events.

16.00 We bought a trip away from here and to Manila in August. It is the beginning of our long journey home that will take part then. After that we have gone to the post office and now we are seated at Josh and Matthew Café and are waiting for coffee. The area around here is like their citizens, run down. We have seen beggars that need assistance to be able to beg. To get around in this area is a challenge. Cars and other things from all directions. One has to be very alert all the time. The guys on the motorcycles and scooters have a cloth over their mouth due to the exhausts.

Cebu City cathedral.

Peter in the middle of the "chaos" in downtown Cebu City.

16.59 We are back in our room. I just realised that someone (not the one from Manukan) has stolen my cell phone at some time during the day. I don’t know where or when it happened. It is gone from the outer pocket of my small backpack. On the way here we made a stop to take some pictures of the city’s cathedral. By it they gathered money for the parking lot by the cathedral. Before we got up here we saw a car with German plates. Well it had Philippine plates over them. An imported car that is.

18.58 The time has come to go out again. I can’t say that I feel for it but we need to eat. I just have to be more careful.

20.11 We went downstairs and got seated on Javy’s. Christer has ordered noodles from Canton (pancit canton) and a local fruit juice. The name of the fruit is calamansi. I chose pork chop with fries and Coca Cola.

21.08 Once again delicious. A Leche Flan, a local pastry, as dessert was just perfect. Here at the place are some odd, strange gentlemen. One of them spoke with two younger ladies. Another one overweight to say the least strolled around in the lobby and as he entered the lift he rushed to push the button to avoid us joining him. We were saved by one of the staff who halted the lift. One gentleman that Christer saw, spoke to a guy from the city before he handed him some money. It was some tip for the information about the local bars.

Tuesday 25th of July

08.12 I just had a shower and with most things packed I am ready for the first domestic travel in the Philippines. I know there will be other trips.

09.23 Yet another breakfast is eaten. Today Christer tried pancakes and country sausage. I tried longganisa (reminded of finger sausages but ever so spicier) to this we had rice and drank coffee. Now as the teeth are brushed the only thing that remains is to put the last thing in the backpack. That is this journal.

10.00 Things have run ever so smooth. We checked out. ordered a taxi and went with it. The total cost was 110 pesos, 100 for the ride and 10 was a fee to the harbour authorities. In the security control men and women had separate checkpoints.

10.10 A few metres away some men with their mouths covered are giving their customers a massage.

Waiting for our boat to Ormoc.

10.49 We sat down in seats 2 H and I on the catamaran Supercat 9. Soon we will head out to sea with destination Ormoc on the island Leyte.

11.11 The security film began with a short prayer about God giving us a safe journey. After that followed the usual stuff about life vests, emergency exits, lifeboats and that they had a menu. They also reminded us not to litter.

12.55 An island is growing by the horizon. The ocean is calm and our journey is pleasant.

Hotel Don Felipe in Ormoc.

13.40 Our boat has docked in the harbour and we docked a bed each in room 310 at Hotel Don Felipe in our new home city Ormoc. As we left the catamaran some of the staff insisted on carrying our backpacks. We replied with a gentle but firm NO. We don’t have a balcony but an extra room behind the glass wall in the room. I guess it is like an indoor balcony.

Tricycles and other vehicles in Ormoc.

14.47 We sat down at Bahia Coffee Shop on the ground floor of our hotel. Outside the window there is a street,a lawn and the sea.

15.53 We are sitting on a stone bench with a Lions symbol. It has started to rain so we will head inside. With us we will bring the stuff we bought. We’ve bought bread and Mirinda drinks in a small bakery shop by the pineapple centre.

18.15 It is looking dark on the electricity side. We just had a brown out. We are pleased that the air conditioner is connected to the emergency aggregate.

19.01 The power just came back. We switched on the TV and watched BBC World for about 30 seconds. After that we lost the channel. A quick look made us realise that all the channels were gone. Just as I wrote this there was a cough from the air conditioner and it drew its last breath.

19.08 The AC is breathing again but no life on TV.

19.21 The TV is brought back to life again.

21.03 We went outside to get dinner. The local Jollibee had closed for the day due to the power failure so we went back and dined at our own Bahia Coffee shop. We had cheeseburgers and a Filipino beer for dinner. Now we enjoy some Mirinda each. In a small store by the reception the young female owner sat and played a guitar.

23.47 On TV we have seen a man who draws similarities between Russia and China and the two first horsemen of the apocalypse. There are plenty of these kind of American religious programmes among the TV-channels here.

Wednesday 26th of July

09.27 Today we decided to sleep until we woke up. Strange eh? After all the bus station is just close to the hotel. We hope for a suitable transport to the island Biliran. First we need to get proper, eat breakfast, pack and check out.

10.45 Today's breakfast was special. Coffee, a slice of pineapple, longganisa and garlic rice for me. In Christer’s case, Spam and slices of toast. We also bought postcards and maps of future places in one of the small shops by the reception.

Busstationen i Ormoc.

11.59 We asked the guard where our bus leaves from. He said something that sounded like it was behind the minister. We went to the bus station but didn't find any minister but we found a mini bus for Naval on Biliran. Now we are seated in that mini bus with our backpacks under us and three rows of chairs in front of us. Maybe the minister was on some kind of poster. Around us outside the bus are lots of people selling different things. Does the bus leave at some specific time or as the bus gets full?

12.28 The bus engine is running and we drove for a while, a couple of metres to be precise. Now they are doing their best to shut the trunk. No empty seats left. We have paid for us and all seems ready to go.

13.01 After driving on a bumpy concrete road, we have stopped to pick up a woman.

13.20 New stop, with people getting of and more guys selling things. Hen, dogs, buffaloes and a goat has been spotted. We also saw fields of rice. We are travelling towards northern Leyte.

13.42 Exuberant verdancy covers the hilly landscape that we pass through.

This bridge takes us from Leyte to the island Biliran.

13.54 We are on a bridge over water. Time for an island change, from Leyte to Biliran.

14.20 The bus has stopped and we have left it in Naval. Next mission is to find a place where we can stay or at least find someone that can take us to such place.

15.05 We haven’t found a place to stay at in Naval but we met guys shouting ”Hey Joe”. It is a bad habit from the days when the country was overrun by American soldiers (G.I Joe). Some other young gentlemen have informed us that Naval is a town without any hotel. Our guidebook is of another opinion but we trust the local guys, most depending on the fact that we haven’t seen anything remotely resembling a hotel. We gave up our search and asked a man with a pedicab, a bike with a sidecar. There were some problems in understanding each other and a guy with a tricycle offered us. It is motorcycle with a large sidecar. The sidecar reminded me of a basket on a Ferris wheel. He drove us to Marvin Seaside Inn in the village of Atipolo. Here we stay with a pool view in room 21. The cost per person is 500 peso/night, $10. The pool sure looks tempting. Through another window we can see a farmer in his field with a hen next to him.

19.04 We sat down at the hotel restaurant Marvin’s kitchen. It is in a building opposite the small road. The beer is here and we wait for the food.

19.53 This evening’s dinner consisted of noodles, vegetables and beef. In the restaurant we saw two lizards on the wall. The dinner cost 110 pesos, that is $2.30. The lizards were on the wall and on the house and more of them have been spotted outside and also inside our room. I have bought one litre Coca Cola in a glass bottle in the kiosk right next to the restaurant. Inside the kiosk was a TV that had attracted some young boys from the village.

Sunset in Atopolo.

21.14 Our room mate the lizard just gained speed and sneaked under the door to the neighbouring room. Soon we heard a child cry in there. Did the lizard make him cry or? We have made plans for a lazy day tomorrow. Take it cool by the pool, fill up with fluids and eat. We might also get acquainted with the village.

23.16 We tried to listen to some radio. There were no transmission on the FM. Christer has found some on the AM.

Thursday 27th of July

09.03 One sure sleeps great and long on these backpacking trips. It is quiet around us. We hear someone work, maybe the farmer we saw yesterday, a bird is singing and we also hear some children. They are playing by the school next to the farmer’s field.

09.15 All we hear now is the rain pouring down. Right now we also hear thunder. Outside is the pool and further away on the other side of the village road is the place providing breakfast.

Nice pool, not so nice weather.

09.49 The rain stopped, we put on our shoes and looked in the room-menu what we would like to eat. As all this was done the rain came back.

10.10 We went downstairs. It rains here as well. We are looking at some that has it even wetter. Some aquarium fish are swimming around in their glass box.

Peter watching local fish.

10.19 We defied the rain and ran to the restaurant. Now we just ordered breakfast.

10.59 As they served the coffee I said “Thanks” in Swedish. Polite, yes, but it would have been better to use a language that they master here as well. Corned beef for Christer, longganisa for me, rice to us both. Price 70 pesos per person. There is still thunder but the sun is breaking through.

Christer by the sea in Atipolo.

12.02 We hear music from the floor below. Something is being set on the tables there. What is happening?

13.11 They have stopped the music and seem to have stopped eating. But someone is holding a speech. Is it some kind of lecture or maybe a conference?

13.56 We’ve done a short stroll in the village. There are plenty of tricycles here so tomorrow’s transportation is solved. If all goes wrong we might use the water buffalo we saw earlier in a rice field.

A water buffalo in a ricefield in Atipolo village.

Our "yellow home" in Atipolo.

14.20 We sat down by the pool. We ignore the conference. We want to have a bath. Songs and music can be heard from a house nearby.

15.01 The rain started again and we retreated to room 21.

The Biliran mountains can be seen here.

17.12 We are zapping between the TV-channels. The kind that dominates are news channels and American religious programmes. One of them has informed us that the conflict in the Middle East is the beginning of the end of the world. The Bible tells how Russia will aid Iran and Hizbollah to crush Israel, that China has one billion soldiers ready for war and so on. The book of Revelations also apparently mentions North Korea somewhere, as we understand the man in this broadcast.

20.41 We are back in the room after having dinner. We bought a San Miguel beer each from the kiosk. There will be no classic balcony beer. First reason, we have no balcony to sit on, second reason there are way too many mosquitoes outside.